diff --git a/src/bootstrap-amd.js b/src/bootstrap-amd.js
index eba9a19431a..a8144075dd5 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap-amd.js
+++ b/src/bootstrap-amd.js
@@ -41,12 +41,14 @@ exports.load = function (entrypoint, onLoad, onError) {
 	}
 
 	// cached data config
-	loader.config({
-		nodeCachedData: {
-			path: process.env['VSCODE_NODE_CACHED_DATA_DIR'],
-			seed: entrypoint
-		}
-	});
+	if (process.env['VSCODE_NODE_CACHED_DATA_DIR']) {
+		loader.config({
+			nodeCachedData: {
+				path: process.env['VSCODE_NODE_CACHED_DATA_DIR'],
+				seed: entrypoint
+			}
+		});
+	}
 
 	onLoad = onLoad || function () { };
 	onError = onError || function (err) { console.error(err); };
diff --git a/src/bootstrap-window.js b/src/bootstrap-window.js
index e3daa060605..ef3d844e52e 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap-window.js
+++ b/src/bootstrap-window.js
@@ -91,13 +91,17 @@ exports.load = function (modulePaths, resultCallback, options) {
 	const loaderConfig = {
 		baseUrl: bootstrap.uriFromPath(configuration.appRoot) + '/out',
 		'vs/nls': nlsConfig,
-		nodeCachedData: {
-			path: configuration.nodeCachedDataDir,
-			seed: modulePaths.join('')
-		},
 		nodeModules: [/*BUILD->INSERT_NODE_MODULES*/]
 	};
 
+	// cached data config
+	if (configuration.nodeCachedDataDir) {
+		loaderConfig.nodeCachedData = {
+			path: configuration.nodeCachedDataDir,
+			seed: modulePaths.join('')
+		};
+	}
+
 	if (options && typeof options.beforeLoaderConfig === 'function') {
 		options.beforeLoaderConfig(configuration, loaderConfig);
 	}